Produce Prices - Page 2

NarnianGarden · May 6, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starlight

Who knows where all that produce has sat. We have one vendor who goes down to Fl and comes back with a super huge trailer loaded to overflowing straight neck squash and zucchini. He gives folks a plastic bag and they can fill all they want for three bucks a bag and he will keep bringing that same trailer out til the veggies all gone. He goes around different markets and during week when he not at market he just parks the trailer in his yard and lets the stuff sit there. Gross. He'll come the following week and you can see the molds starting on the fruits.

At least they're alive and not chemivcally embalmed if they're able to grow mold

Reminds me of a pic I once saw of the Soviet Union: there was a truck loaded with cabbages on its way to the market. I'm sure they were all fresh and edible.. unlike many plastic-wrapped sterile vegetables in our stores today.

Keger · May 17, 2015

I have my own opinions on the whole organic deal. I think conventional methods are fine and perfectly healthy. I also think farmers markets have gotten away from being that. I always thought it was for fresh, seasonal produce at a great value. Around here, Houston area, they have turned into boutiques. We have a guy that does bison steak for 20 bucks a pound. Guys who claim to use no chemicals that will not live around here unless you do, especially has summer gets closer. After 6 years of this I have decided to just tend to my own business and not worry about what others are doing. I f I have to treat eggplant when they are young with Sevin and some copper fungicide to keep the plants and get a crop I tell people that. I never treat squash and only treat cukes with fungicide. I follow what Texas A&M recommends for this area. As the business has grown I co op with another farm down the road. We are friends and I help him on his place and I will take produce when there is a bumper crop and we can offer customers great value.

As for pricing I refuse to over charge. There are no magic tomatoes with mystical powers. I get 3 bucks a pound, and if it is a real bumper crop ( which we rarely see here due to climate) I will roll them out at 2 bucks. My theory is to compete and take care of the customer.

Just my 2 pennies worth.

brooksville · May 17, 2015

Keger, I am with you. I have come full circle on the organic thing. Not bashing it, I just can not pull it off. I am also not in a position to keep an eye on the garden everyday. I want to be 100% organic but I use Daconil and Texas Tomato Food. I also use organic insecticide which is expensive, and I always amend the garden with blood meal, feather meal and cotton seed meal. I like to think of my garden as one that is aware, but practical. I do not want to lose a crop to disease because I am so rigid that I can not use a product that will help because it has not been approved by a government agency.

In saying all that, response at the market has good. Sold out of patty pan squash 3 weeks running, and most of the potatoes. We are averaging 2 dollars a pound for both squash and potatoes. Next is the tomatoes, 20 varieties. Can't wait.

John

Wi-sunflower · May 18, 2015

I'm with the above 2 posters. I would love to be organic, but it will never happen, not the way we farm. We do fairly well with some crops, but others need some chemical help. Often it's just after germination, like vine crops for Cucumber beetles. I tell my customers. I'll put a sign "only BT on the cabbage and broccoli" so people know. I try to ask what I think is a fair price for both me and the customers. Not gougy organic prices, but usually not quite as cheap as Wal-mart either.

We try to rotate the crops to different areas from year to year. That usually means probably 1/2 of what we grow is following our corn and yes we grow Roundup-ready corn. And frankly I'm thankful for that. Before, the chemicals needed to grow corn were SSSOOOOO toxic that no vegie could be grown in that land for the next season or sometimes even 2. So many farms around here had chemicals in their well water before Roundup, especially Atrazine.

Carol

Worth1 · May 18, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wi-sunflower

I'm with the above 2 posters. I would love to be organic, but it will never happen, not the way we farm. We do fairly well with some crops, but others need some chemical help. Often it's just after germination, like vine crops for Cucumber beetles. I tell my customers. I'll put a sign "only BT on the cabbage and broccoli" so people know. I try to ask what I think is a fair price for both me and the customers. Not gougy organic prices, but usually not quite as cheap as Wal-mart either.

We try to rotate the crops to different areas from year to year. That usually means probably 1/2 of what we grow is following our corn and yes we grow Roundup-ready corn. And frankly I'm thankful for that. Before, the chemicals needed to grow corn were SSSOOOOO toxic that no vegie could be grown in that land for the next season or sometimes even 2. So many farms around here had chemicals in their well water before Roundup, especially Atrazine.

Carol

I am so against corn produced E-85 fuel for cars I dont know what to say.
Corn is not an environmentally friendly crop in most cases.

Worth

Keger · May 18, 2015

Thank you for your replies as growers, producers.

I will also say this...........

The USA has the most plentiful, best quality, and best priced produce in the history of the planet. Period.

I am tired of the farmers being beat up in this country by those who simply have an economic agenda, starting with the government.

When left alone, the small and large American grower will do just fine, without some silly label of govt approval, that doubles the price to the consumer with a family trying to make ends meet.

All of that noise runs against my nature, and I have had enough.

Father'sDaughter · May 18, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

I am so against corn produced E-85 fuel for cars I dont know what to say.
Corn is not an environmentally friendly crop in most cases.

Worth

I'm with you! Ethanol in fuel is evil, especially for small engines and motorcycles. We have to spend a good amount of money for additives to combat the damage it can do to our engine internals. I wish the corn growers would go back to growing food crops.

Wi-sunflower · May 19, 2015

Well for the last several years our corn has all been sold to a couple of our neighbors for their dairy cows and some beef calves. We only grow about 50-60 acres of corn so we are small fry as far as the corn goes. But if not for the ethanol raising the price of corn, it wouldn't be worth growing. Before ethanol, corn was less than $2 / bu. You can't grow it for that.

If you think ethanol is bad, try running 5 - 50+ year old tractors on the "reformulated " cruddy gas we have here because of the smog that comes up from the Chicago area. Besides the fact that they charge more for it, stuff doesn't run well at all. We often carry cans with us when we go out of the county so we can get "good" gas, often 20 cents cheaper too.

Carol

JohnJones · May 19, 2015

Little dangerous to bring up Ethanol, because if can't be honestly debated without venturing into politics and guvmnt.

Worth1 · May 19, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnJones

Little dangerous to bring up Ethanol, because if can't be honestly debated without venturing into politics and guvmnt.

Not really, you just need to have constraint and the knowledge to know one from the other and not drag it into the subject.

Worth

JohnJones · May 19, 2015

My point is Ethanol could not feasibly exist as a competitive product without guvmnt subsidies, making it kind of an abomination, like most things the gov gets into.

Worth1 · May 19, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnJones

My point is Ethanol could not feasibly exist as a competitive product without guvmnt subsidies, making it kind of an abomination, like most things the gov gets into.

The subsidies are involved in many things in one way or another.
My cousins get subsidized on their wheat farm and buy a new truck all of the time with the check.

Back in the 70's we started to not have to pay highway taxes on our farm fuel.

But enough of that.
My concern is about the poor mileage you get from alcohol.
This offsets the benefits by itself not to mention the pollution involved just to make it.

The only reason they put 15% gasoline in the E 85 is to be able to start the engine.
We would have to start our Drag car with a squirt bottle to get it running on alcohol.

Farmers are going to do what is best for them and their families and to keep their farm and we need to support them.
What happens in the market isn't their fault.
If corn is the best crop to make money from then that is what they will grow.
Unfortunately this all happened because somewhere someone got people to thinking we were dependent on oil from the middle east.
We aren't and haven't been for a long time.
The other reason is misinformed people were told that alcohol was the answer to this and it was better for the environment. (not)
The poor farmer was left holding the bag.

Worth

JohnJones · May 19, 2015

Agree with every bit of that Worth!

Keger · May 19, 2015

Word .............

You speak the real world.

Salsacharley · May 19, 2015

Now, if someone could only get engines to run on tobacco....I guess 2nd hand smoke would be the issue then.

May 17, 2015	#17
Keger Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Richmond, TX Posts: 327	I have my own opinions on the whole organic deal. I think conventional methods are fine and perfectly healthy. I also think farmers markets have gotten away from being that. I always thought it was for fresh, seasonal produce at a great value. Around here, Houston area, they have turned into boutiques. We have a guy that does bison steak for 20 bucks a pound. Guys who claim to use no chemicals that will not live around here unless you do, especially has summer gets closer. After 6 years of this I have decided to just tend to my own business and not worry about what others are doing. I f I have to treat eggplant when they are young with Sevin and some copper fungicide to keep the plants and get a crop I tell people that. I never treat squash and only treat cukes with fungicide. I follow what Texas A&M recommends for this area. As the business has grown I co op with another farm down the road. We are friends and I help him on his place and I will take produce when there is a bumper crop and we can offer customers great value. As for pricing I refuse to over charge. There are no magic tomatoes with mystical powers. I get 3 bucks a pound, and if it is a real bumper crop ( which we rarely see here due to climate) I will roll them out at 2 bucks. My theory is to compete and take care of the customer. Just my 2 pennies worth.

May 17, 2015	#18
brooksville Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2014 Location: South Georgia Zone 8a Posts: 179	Keger, I am with you. I have come full circle on the organic thing. Not bashing it, I just can not pull it off. I am also not in a position to keep an eye on the garden everyday. I want to be 100% organic but I use Daconil and Texas Tomato Food. I also use organic insecticide which is expensive, and I always amend the garden with blood meal, feather meal and cotton seed meal. I like to think of my garden as one that is aware, but practical. I do not want to lose a crop to disease because I am so rigid that I can not use a product that will help because it has not been approved by a government agency. In saying all that, response at the market has good. Sold out of patty pan squash 3 weeks running, and most of the potatoes. We are averaging 2 dollars a pound for both squash and potatoes. Next is the tomatoes, 20 varieties. Can't wait. John

May 18, 2015	#19
Wi-sunflower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 2,591	I'm with the above 2 posters. I would love to be organic, but it will never happen, not the way we farm. We do fairly well with some crops, but others need some chemical help. Often it's just after germination, like vine crops for Cucumber beetles. I tell my customers. I'll put a sign "only BT on the cabbage and broccoli" so people know. I try to ask what I think is a fair price for both me and the customers. Not gougy organic prices, but usually not quite as cheap as Wal-mart either. We try to rotate the crops to different areas from year to year. That usually means probably 1/2 of what we grow is following our corn and yes we grow Roundup-ready corn. And frankly I'm thankful for that. Before, the chemicals needed to grow corn were SSSOOOOO toxic that no vegie could be grown in that land for the next season or sometimes even 2. So many farms around here had chemicals in their well water before Roundup, especially Atrazine. Carol

May 19, 2015	#23
Wi-sunflower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 2,591	Well for the last several years our corn has all been sold to a couple of our neighbors for their dairy cows and some beef calves. We only grow about 50-60 acres of corn so we are small fry as far as the corn goes. But if not for the ethanol raising the price of corn, it wouldn't be worth growing. Before ethanol, corn was less than $2 / bu. You can't grow it for that. If you think ethanol is bad, try running 5 - 50+ year old tractors on the "reformulated " cruddy gas we have here because of the smog that comes up from the Chicago area. Besides the fact that they charge more for it, stuff doesn't run well at all. We often carry cans with us when we go out of the county so we can get "good" gas, often 20 cents cheaper too. Carol

May 19, 2015	#24
JohnJones Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Mississippi Posts: 339	Little dangerous to bring up Ethanol, because if can't be honestly debated without venturing into politics and guvmnt.

May 19, 2015	#30
Salsacharley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: New Mexico Posts: 2,052	Now, if someone could only get engines to run on tobacco....I guess 2nd hand smoke would be the issue then.